The Carbon County Senior Games are more than just retirement-age men and women competing against each other for medals.

“What it’s all about is people getting out of the house and having a good time,” said Carbon County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein during the closing banquet of the 30th annual games Thursday at Dean Anthony’s Banquet Hall in Jim Thorpe.

This year’s Senior Games had 249 participants, the most in the history of the event, said Anne Horrigan, Senior Games director.

Individual medals were awarded during the week for winners of events such as Ping-Pong, miniature golf and polka dancing, with two team medals awarded during the banquet.

Horrigan said the competition was divided into two categories: the North consisting of Jim Thorpe, Panther Valley and Weatherly, and the South consisting of Lehighton and Palmerton.

For the third consecutive year, the South outscored the North and won the Commissioners’ Cup.

The score this year: The South 695, the North 638.

Last year the South won by score of 770-592.

Nothstein and fellow Commissioner Tom J. Gerhard presented the cup to the South team, represented by Diana Westermann of Lehighton and Ruth Holden, Frank Carazo and Raymond Berger, all of Palmerton.

Victor Pituch, who founded the Senior Games, presented the Victor Pituch Good Sportsmanship plaque to Weatherly participants. Representing the Weatherly team were Joanne Bunk, Ronald Hensel and Eva Labanoski.

Gerhard, a Weatherly resident, said Weatherly had more participants this year than ever before.

“Today’s gathering is like a family reunion, meeting old friends and making new ones,” Gerhard said.

Mario Iezzoni of Summit Hill and Richard Ockenhouse of Jim Thorpe, longtime competitors in the age 85 and older events, sat together. They said the competition provides long-lasting memories.

“Tuesday was really my lucky day,” Iezonni said, noting he won three medals that day.

Ockenhouse said, “It’s a good time. My daughter, Lisa, signs me up for a lot of events. The games are a good thing.”

Horrigan cited some statistics from each of the communities represented:

• Jim Thorpe had 74 participants; 34 men and 40 women. The team scored a total of 325 points. The men outscored the women, 181-144.

• Panther Valley (consisting of Nesquehoning, Lansford and Summit Hill) had 38 participants. There were 15 men and 23 women. They scored 227 total points. The men had 148 points and the women had 79 points.

• Weatherly (consisting of Weatherly, Tresckow and Beaver Meadows) had 21 players; eight men and 13 women. They scored 86 points. The women outscored the men, 65-21.

• Palmerton had 35 participants, with 12 men and 23 women. They scored 201 points. Of that total, 115 were by the women and 86 were by the men.

• Lehighton had 74 players; 31 men and 43 women. They scored 494 points. The women outscored the men, 278-216.

Sue Ziegler of the Carbon County Agency on Aging said her office was notified Thursday that it received a state award.